Punch Instructors Course Handout One Day Instructor Training Workshop 1
10:00 Welcome and introductions 10:15 Master Class 11:15 Break 11:30 Technique Overview Part one General Boxing Safety Straights Hooks Uppercuts Defence 12:30 Lunch 13:15 Technique overview Part Two Recap earlier strikes 14:00 Class structure overview 14:15 Punch conditioning 14:45 Boxing combinations 15:15 Coaching workshop 15:45 Break and Preparation time 16:00 Teaching assessments 16:45 Feedback and wrap-up 17:00 - Close Today s journey 2
What is Punch? Punch is a fitness based boxing workout that incorporates the best boxing moves, great conditioning moves and motivational music to create a powerful workout than churns through calories and leaves you fighting fit! Each of the 3 minute rounds focuses on a different strike, making the workout progressive and gradually more intense. It is an interval training workout mean that participants will get fitter faster and continue to burn calories for some hours after the workout. Aims and Objectives Regardless of teaching experience or boxing ability prior to the course, this course will give you the skills required to teach successful classes. By the end of this one day course you will be able to correctly demonstrate all of the strikes used in Punch. You will be able to successfully coach these moves to your class participants. You will also be able to effectively plan and teach conditioning rounds within the class. You will demonstrate these new skills during the assessment process at the end of the day and will be measured against the Virgin Active Punch Standard. Pass or Fail? At the end of the day you will either be passed to teach, or a recommendation will be made for you to return and repeat the module at a later date, or to work closely with your GEM (provided they have passed the module) until they feel you are ready to teach on your own. Before we start. What would you like to achieve from today s training? How do you want to use your new skills when you return to your club? 3
Punch! Boxing technique overview It is vital that when taking part in a Punch class, technique is the primary focus for your participants. Below we will cover all of the strikes used in Punch, including coaching points for boxers and for pad holders to ensure everyone has a safe, effective fitness boxing workout! General Boxing Safety As Punch is a fitness boxing workout, there is a tendency to forget about safety, however, this should always be of prime consideration as the potential for injury is great. The most common injuries in fitness boxing occur to the hands, wrists, elbows and shoulders. We can help to avoid these injuries by taking some simple steps: Make a fist by wrapping the thumb around the index finger and closing the hand tightly, do not let the thumb stick out or tuck it under your fingers or you could end up with a nasty thumb break/dislocation. Always ensure that you punch with the index knuckle (1 st ) and middle (2 nd ) knuckle, you must not strike with the 4 th knuckle (pinkie knuckle) as this is the weakest part of the hand and could result in a broken knuckle. Try to keep the wrist strong at the point of impact as flexing the wrist could result in wrist injury and ensure that you don t over-extend the elbow or shoulder joint as this could potentially damage ligaments and tendons. The use of hand wraps under the boxing gloves will help to protect the bones in the hands and wrists. (Provided they are wrapped properly!) Remember that it will take time for all of the nerves, muscles and tendons in the hands and wrists to adapt to striking an object so coach beginners to concentrate on technique first and build up punch power and speed over a number of weeks. 4
Pad Holder Safety There are also some safety points to be remembered when holding the focus pads, remember that it is just as easy to be injured holding the pads as it is to be injured whilst hitting them. Take the following steps to ensure safety of class participants: Locking of elbows could potentially jar elbow or shoulder joint if you receive a heavy strike, so prevent this by always keeping a slight bend in the arm and tension in the upper back/shoulders at the point of impact to brace, this will take the edge off of the strike DO NOT push the pad into ANY strike, this will compromise the boxers technique and potentially damage their shoulder/elbow joints. On the flip side of this, failing to tense at the point of impact could also result in the boxer over extending and potentially injuring their elbow or shoulders, this will also place a great deal of strain on the ligaments and tendons in the pad holder s shoulders. Straights (Jabs & Crosses) Hooks Uppercuts Avoid leaning away from the boxer as this could result in causing an injury to the boxer from hyperextension of the elbow, and knock you off balance. Do not hold the pads directly in front of your face! During contact with the pads you may end of with a nasty surprise! (Leaning away) (Hands too close to your face) Coach your participants to keep the focus pads at a reasonable distance from the face/body to avoid getting hit, whilst ensuring that they are giving the boxer a realistic target to strike. 5
Striking Although Punch is a fitness boxing class and not technical pad work, we ARE still hitting pads, so when throwing punches coach your participants to think about hitting into and through the pads with purpose, rather than stopping at the surface of the pad and landing the strike with no real power. Straight Punches Straight punches are exactly that. They travel straight from your guard, to the target, in the most direct route possible. These punches can be categorised into the jab and the cross: Jab: Cross: Your jab comes from your lead (front) hand and is normally the weaker of your two arms/punches. It travels in a straight line from your guard, to the target (focus pad), and back along the same line to your guard position. On its way you will need to rotate your fist (thumb turns inwards) to generate that snap in your punches. This will ensure it is a punch and NOT just a push. When throwing your jab, keep your elbow in and rotate your torso and lead shoulder towards your target to generate power, rather than lifting your elbow away from your side and simply straightening your arm. Similar to your jab due to the fact it travels in a straight line. Your Cross will be the stronger of your two straight punches and come from the rear hand. As your Hip is loaded before you throw this punch you can generate a lot more force, speed and power than your jab. Same technique as the jab, but focus more on really rotating your torso and throwing your rear hip towards your target to get authenticity in this punch. Your fist should end up with knuckles flat upon impact, wrist straight and in-line with your forearm, thumb horizontal to the ground and palm facing down. Return to the guard as quickly as possible. Pads for both strikes should be head height, and narrower than shoulder width apart to give a realistic target. Pads should be facing the boxer and pad holder should have a slight bend in their elbow to keep full control of pad position, keeping tension in the muscles of the arms, shoulders and upper back will also help keep full pad control. 6
Hooks As a general rule of thumb in Punch, we throw hooks between chest and shoulder height to ensure realistic targets. Hooks are circular punches that use rotation to generate power and speed. We use the push hook as opposed to the snap hook as this is safer for our participants to throw correctly and reduces the risk of hand/thumb/wrist injuries Hooks can be thrown from the front, or the rear arm. The only difference in technique is that from the rear hand, the torso and hip must rotate more. Start in your boxing guard. The strike should be initiated from the floor by lifting the heel, the hip should then rotate towards the target, the arm and torso then rotate as one to generate the power in the strike Try to land this strike with the thumb on top and pinkie closest to the floor (push hook) with a 90 elbow bend. Return to the guard as fast as possible. Pads should be somewhere between chest to shoulder height to mimic realistic targets. Pad holder should keep their elbows in and pads facing each other, tension in the upper back and lats will help to keep the pads in position as the boxer strikes them. Uppercuts Uppercuts can be thrown from many positions and can be landed to many parts of the body and head. In Punch, we only throw uppercuts from boxing guard and to a target of the boxers chin height. Uppercuts can be thrown from the front, or the rear arm. The only difference in technique is that from the rear hand, more hip and shoulder rotation is required. From boxing guard, drop the shoulder of the hand you are about to punch with and bend your knees a little Slightly pull your shoulder back to load the hip and generate more power, keep your elbow close to your body Strike by firstly pushing your hip and shoulder forward and straightening your leg (not locking out) Keeping your elbow at around 45 and your palm facing your chest, drive your hand up into the pad 7
Return to guard as quickly as possible Think about twisting up and into the punch like a corkscrew Pads should be held at the boxers chin height, closely together (almost touching each other) and facing down towards the floor. Keep the elbows lower than the pads and keep tension in the lats and shoulders to maintain pad control. Defensive moves Obviously in Punch there is no contact involved, however that does not mean that we should not practice defensive drills to keep us sharp and train hand eye co-ordination. There are lots of defensives move in boxing but the ones that we will use in Punch are the slip, the bob, the weave and the parry. The Slip The slip is primarily used to avoid a jab to the head; it involves a quick shift in bodyweight to quickly evade the strike. As your opponent throws a jab towards you, bend your knees a little, twist at your waist and lean slightly to the inside/outside of the punch, ensuring that your guard stays high, chin tucked in. imagine performing an oblique crunch as this will help you to perform the move correctly. If done effectively, your opponents strike should land past your head and over your shoulder. Pad holders should simply extend their arm as if throwing a jab to give the boxer a realistic object to move away from. 8
The Bob The bob is primarily used to avoid either the jab or the hook; it involves you quickly dropping under your opponents strike to avoid a strike to the head. As your opponent throws their strike, quickly bend your knees; shift your body weight slightly forward and down to duck under the incoming strike. Imagine performing a squat as this will help you to perform the move correctly. Ensure that you keep your chin tucked in and your guard high to protect your head. If done effectively, your opponents strike should land over the top of your head. Pad holders should simply extend their arm towards the boxer s nose as if throwing a jab, or circle the pad towards the boxer s ear as if throwing a hook to give them a realistic object to move away from. The Weave The weave is primarily used to evade a wide flailing punch such as the hook, it involves moving the body around and under your opponents strike, and it is a defensive move but can leave you in a perfect position to counter punch. It is basically an extension of the bob with a lateral movement to set up a counter punch opportunity. As your opponent throws their strike, let s say the hook for example, soften your knees a little, lean away from the incoming strike and duck under it, coming back up to your guard position on the other side of their strike, as a result your opponents strike should land way over and outside your shoulder. Imagine trying to paint an o with your nose as you move, this will help to ensure you are performing the movement correctly. Keep the chin tucked throughout with the guard up and ensure that you keep your eyes on the incoming strike. If performed correctly, you should finish in the perfect position to throw a counter punch such as the hook, straight, body shot, etc. Pad holders should throw a wide, flailing hook towards the ear of the boxer to give a realistic punch to avoid. 9
The Parry The parry is primarily used to block an opponent s strike and set up a counter punch opportunity. It involves you stopping an incoming shot with your glove/arm and leaving your opponent open to a counter punch. As your opponent throws their strike, you simply use your glove to parry it out of the way (usually towards the floor, but this can vary depending on the punch thrown) thus leaving their guard compromised and open to a counter punch. Pad holders should throw their arm towards the boxer (simulating any given strike) in order to give the boxer a realistic strike to parry. Notes on Strikes & Defence; 10
Class Structure Punch is a boxing workout that uses a variety of strikes and conditioning exercises within the pre-set class structure given below. When teaching Punch, this format should be used at all times to ensure consistency in our clubs. Section of Class Strikes/Exercises used in class section Warm Up Must be progressive. Includes mobility, flexiblity and pulse raising components and is specific to the class format (i.e. Boxing orientated) Round 1 Round 2 Straights and Hooks - Partner A Straights and Hooks - Partner B Round 3 Conditioning Round 1 Round 4 Round 5 Defence + Straights/Hooks - Partner A Defence + Straights/Hooks - Partner B Round 6 Conditioning Round 2 Round 7 Round 8 Uppercuts + Defence/Straights/Hooks - Partner A Uppercuts + Defence/Straights/Hooks - Partner B Round 9 Conditioning Round 3 Round 10 Uppercuts/Defence/Straights/Hooks - Partner A Round 11 Uppercuts/Defence/Straights/Hooks - Partner B Round 12 Conditioning Round 4 Cool Down Include pulse low ering exercise, either maintenance or progressive stretches of the main muscle groups used in class The Strikes in BOLD should be the round highlight and the focus should be on coaching these moves in that particular round. However it is important to include the strikes from the previous rounds to build more interesting combinations and a progressively harder workout as the class goes on. 11
Punch Conditioning So as we know, conditioning is a HUGE part of overall general fitness, but it is even more critical to be well conditioned in Boxing, therefore, we devote around a ¼ of the class to conditioning exercises to improve our general fitness levels. The exercises used in the conditioning rounds should: Incorporate upper, lower body and core Be challenging enough for experienced class members whilst simple enough for beginners to perform an option of the exercise Be related to martial arts or the muscles/movements used in martial arts in some way Allow your class participants to work in pairs or teams to encourage greater interaction in class. Should promote some healthy competition within your group of participants Be FUN! Should require minimal equipment so as not to upset the flow of the class Conditioning Round Structure The conditioning rounds can be structured in many different ways, you can group many exercises together throughout the 3 minutes, or you could change the exercise every minute. The easiest way to structure these rounds is to pick a single exercise for the 1st half of the round (1 min 30sec) that your participants both perform together, or one at a time for a prescribed number of repetitions, taking turns. Then choose another exercise for the last half of the round (1 min 30 sec), again, they can perform this together or one at a time, depending on the exercise. Example Exercises Below are some example exercises that you could use in the conditioning rounds in your Punch classes, the possibilities are endless, but here are a few classic exercises to get you started: Squats with Dumbbells/medicine ball/weight plate/barbell Push ups Plank with rotation Mountain Climber Russian Twist 12
WBI (Whole Body Integration) Exercises Lunge with rotation (weighted if progressed) Burpees Tombstones Partner games Use the template below to plot out your 4 conditioning rounds; Conditioning Round Practice session Round Exercise Equipment Progressions Regressions Conditioning Round 1 Conditioning Round 2 Conditioning Round 3 Conditioning Round 4 13
Combinations After learning how to perform each strike, your participants are going to want to know how to put a series of punches together (A combination), there are thousands and thousands of combinations possible with the main strikes used in Punch, so your participants should always be trying new ways of putting strikes together. Throwing combinations is what will add real authenticity to the workout When advising on what combinations to throw, it is important to remember the following: We should be able to, theoretically, throw hundreds of punches in succession without losing balance. The reason being is that every single punch, when thrown properly, should leave you in a position where you can and will be able to throw another punch. For example, when you throw a left jab you should automatically be in a position to throw a right cross. When you finish with the right hand, you should be in a position to throw a left hook, etc. If you throw a right hand, or any other punch, and you are off balance and NOT in a position to throw another punch afterwards then you did not throw that punch effectively. A very simple way to build effective combinations is to always throw left, right, left, right, left, right, etc. For Example: Left Jab Right Cross Left Hook Right Uppercut Left Hook Right Cross This is the easiest way to build combinations because after each punch, you are in a loaded position for the next punch, making the combination flow and making it easier to generate more power and speed. 14
Combination Builder Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4 Example 5 Fill in the worksheet above with examples of 5 different combinations. Try and build at least one, 10 punch combination, keeping in mind the principles from the previous page. *Remember you have 20 seconds to demonstrate and coach you combination to the class 15
Coaching Being able to effectively coach the strikes used in Punch will be the reason that your classes are packed week after week. The ability to verbally and visually coach each strike is vitally important to you the success of your class. You only have a short amount of time to set-up and give 5-10 initial cues for each strike, so it is vital that you say the right things, in the right way and give clear visual demonstrations. Name of strike: Coaching session For example, to set-up the Uppercuts round, you might want to say something along the lines of the following, giving an appropriate demonstration simultaneously: Uppercuts are a vertical punch When throwing this punch, keep a 45degree bend in your elbow and your palm facing your chest Drop your shoulder to load the punch and draw the punching shoulder back slightly Bend your knees a little As you stand up, throw your hip and shoulder forward and keep the elbow at 45 degrees 16
Strike through the pad with a strong wrist in a vertical direction Pad holders should keep pads at your boxers chin height, elbows in and pads facing down with a slight angle. Tense lats, upper back and arms to absorb impact of punch Music Virgin Active will provide the music that you must use in your Punch classes. It has been produced solely for use within Virgin Active Health Clubs and with the Punch programme. This is available from Fitmixpro in download format, which will need to be burnt onto a CD. There are regular music updates available for Punch, helping to keep your classes fresh and help continually motivate your members. On returning to your club, speak to your Group Exercise Manager who will be able to provide you with a code to download the latest mix. What Now? Ensure that you spend time preparing the conditioning rounds for your class in order to always make it fresh, exciting and varied for your class participants. Ensure that you spend time where possible, before and after class developing relationships with your participants, focusing on getting to know the less familiar members of your class. Ask for feedback from your peers and class participants to ensure that you are consistently creating a fun, motivating experience. Finally, enjoy teaching Punch, being an ambassador for the programme and selling the benefits of Punch classes to your members. 17